This invention relates generally to mating male and female insulated electrical connector assemblies and more particularly to electrical connector assemblies for multiple male and female terminals.
Various insulated connector assemblies have been designed for engaging, enclosing and supporting male and female terminals. Some connector assembly bodies have an internally projecting shoulder which engages and retains the terminal in position.
One such assembly is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 107,681, filed Oct. 13, 1987, Now U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,889 and assigned to the assignee of this application. This connector has a deflectable finger formed between two slits in one wall section of the hollow body of the connector. The finger has an internally projecting shoulder which engages the inserted terminal to retain the terminal within the connector body. When the connectors are unmated the finger can be deflected, without the use of special tools, out of engagement with the terminal to permit the terminal to be withdrawn from the connector body to allow visible inspection of the terminal and the connector body components.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved connector assembly having deflectable fingers and a removable retainer that maintains the deflectable fingers in engagement with the terminals inserted into the connector body.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved connector assembly having a secondary lock mechanism to retain the electrical terminals within the body of the connector.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved connector assembly capable of withstanding substantial pull out force without releasing a terminal from the assembled connector or shearing shoulders from the deflectable fingers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved connector assembly having a removable lock with a guide to direct insertion of male terminals into the female terminals when mating connectors are joined.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved connector assembly which cannot be unlocked to permit terminal removal until the connectors are disengaged.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly having an indicator which confirms correct terminal alignment within the connector body.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved connector assembly a unitary guide member insertable within the connector body which guides the insertion of male terminals, wedges the deflectable fingers into engagement with inserted terminals, and provides the secondary lock to retain the terminals within the body of the connector.
The improved electrical terminal connector assembly according to the present invention for housing either a female or a male terminal has a hollow body having at least one terminal cavity adapted to enclose and support the terminal The connector body preferably has at least one straight row of aligned cavities adjacent one another to house several aligned terminals. The hollow body has at least one wall section defining one wall of each cavity having two spaced apart slots forming between them a deflectable finger cantilever supported at one end by the wall.
The deflectable finger has an inwardly projecting shoulder portion which resiliently engages the electrical terminal inserted into the cavity when the terminal is fully inserted. The deflectable finger is pushed outward as the terminal is inserted and then snaps into engagement with the terminal as the terminal reaches the fully inserted position within the cavity.
A separate terminal retainer and guide member is removably inserted into the body to retain and lock the terminal within the cavity and hold the deflectable finger in retaining engagement with the terminal in the cavity. The retainer and guide member includes an elongated insert which is slidably disposed in a separate passage in the hollow body which passes transversely through a portion of the terminal cavity.
When the elongated insert is inserted in the passage, it engages a portion of the terminal enclosed within the cavity to retain the terminal in place. If the terminal is not fully seated within the cavity, the elongated insert will not be able to pass through the passage to a fully inserted position. This then provides an indication of whether or not the terminals are fully and properly seated within the connector body.
The elongation insert has at least two elongated legs, one of which is inserted in the passage. The other leg is positioned outside the cavity wall against the deflectable finger preventing the deflectable finger from being deflected out of engagement with the terminal in the cavity.
A preferred embodiment of the connector assembly includes two rows of multiple aligned terminals and cavities side by side. Therefore the retainer and guide member has two parallel elongated insert legs designed to pass within two corresponding parallel passages in the hollow connector body, one passage through each row of cavities. A third leg is positioned outside and between the rows of the cavities against the deflectable fingers preventing disengagement of the fingers with the terminals.
One preferred embodiment of the present invention is particularly adapted for retaining female terminals within the connector body. This embodiment includes one of the elongated legs of the insert having a generally flat guide portion forming part of each cavity entrance for directing insertion of the corresponding male terminal into the female terminal as the corresponding connectors are mated.
The elongated leg of the insert which is positioned outside the cavity against the deflectable finger includes a notched projection which is engagable with a portion of the connector body to retain the retaining guide member in the fully inserted position This leg is resiliently biased toward the other leg so that the insert snap fits into the fully inserted position.
In addition, when the insert is fully inserted into the connector body and the connector bodies are mated, the retainer and guide member is locked into place. Coaction between the mated connectors prevent disengagement of the insert from the connector body.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.